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johnwigney(at)windstream.
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 Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:13 am Post subject: Europa door shoot bolts |
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Hi Vaughn,
Am happy to hear that you are back on track with the project. How is
progress?
You were fortunate with the Tomahawk door. Re Europa doors, my
experience is that mine opened up once a long time ago (rear bolt not
engaged) just as I was lifting off at take off. I was able to gently set
it back down without losing the door. Lucky me. I am now a bit anal
about checking the bolts. I believe that if you fly with one bolt out,
there may be no way you can stop the door opening or even think about
relocking it. Just fly the plane.
At the 2008 Sun N Fun, there was a prize winning Lancair which departed
from the show. The photo at take off (below) shows his front hinge
canopy was open about 2" at the back edge. He crashed fatally about 5
miles from the airport. Even at big shows you can always declare an
emergency. This guy could have put it back down. Moral = "Fly the Plane!"
Cheers, John
ORIGINAL MESSAGE/
From: "Europa List" <n914va(at)bvunet.net>
Subject: Re: Liberty XL Service Bulletin for Canopy Shoot Bolts
I learned to fly in a Piper Tomahawk which used a similar system to secure
the doors. It was pounded into my head to check both doors very carefully
before taking of. On my long solo cross country I left Harrisburg
International and as I turned to leave the pattern, I noticed more noise
than usual. Sure enough the rear shoot bolt on my side was not engaged. I
slowed to 10 knots above stall and trimed for level flight as instructed and
was able to correctly shut the door. I was prepared to request permission
and land back at Harrisburg had I not been successful because of the dire
warnings from my instructor about not bringing the complete airplane home.
Learning a lesson without dire consequences is most preferable. Learning
from others mistakes is even better for you.
Vaughn Teegarden
A191 back in the building stage
/
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Jeff(at)rmmm.net
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 10:11 am Post subject: Europa door shoot bolts |
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Hi Vaughn,
I flew my bird to that show and was standing there watching that
Lancair take off. When I turned to watch the next one leave he went
down. Myself and some friends were sick when we saw the smoke from the
crash. Even more so when they told us it was an open canopy.
Before I hit the throttle both my hands push out on the rear, then the
front of both doors making sure those shoot bolts are in. It is too
bad but we all get caught up in trying to make a perfect landing or
takeoff when on lookers are around. (Air shows etc.)
Thats when check list are needed even more.
Best To All!!
Jeff R. N128LJ Gold Rush... still down for annual but looking forward
to the soon to be nice weather!
On Feb 22, 2010, at 10:06 AM, John Wigney wrote:
| Quote: |
>
Hi Vaughn,
Am happy to hear that you are back on track with the project. How is
progress?
You were fortunate with the Tomahawk door. Re Europa doors, my
experience is that mine opened up once a long time ago (rear bolt
not engaged) just as I was lifting off at take off. I was able to
gently set it back down without losing the door. Lucky me. I am now
a bit anal about checking the bolts. I believe that if you fly with
one bolt out, there may be no way you can stop the door opening or
even think about relocking it. Just fly the plane.
At the 2008 Sun N Fun, there was a prize winning Lancair which
departed from the show. The photo at take off (below) shows his
front hinge canopy was open about 2" at the back edge. He crashed
fatally about 5 miles from the airport. Even at big shows you can
always declare an emergency. This guy could have put it back down.
Moral = "Fly the Plane!"
Cheers, John
ORIGINAL MESSAGE/
From: "Europa List" <n914va(at)bvunet.net>
Subject: Re: Liberty XL Service Bulletin for Canopy
Shoot Bolts
I learned to fly in a Piper Tomahawk which used a similar system to
secure the doors. It was pounded into my head to check both doors
very carefully before taking of. On my long solo cross country I
left Harrisburg International and as I turned to leave the pattern,
I noticed more noise than usual. Sure enough the rear shoot bolt on
my side was not engaged. I slowed to 10 knots above stall and trimed
for level flight as instructed and was able to correctly shut the
door. I was prepared to request permission and land back at
Harrisburg had I not been successful because of the dire warnings
from my instructor about not bringing the complete airplane home.
Learning a lesson without dire consequences is most preferable.
Learning from others mistakes is even better for you.
Vaughn Teegarden
A191 back in the building stage
/
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| | - The Matronics Europa-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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rampil
Joined: 04 May 2007
Posts: 870
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: Europa door shoot bolts |
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It's true I think that anyone who has flown small GA certified AC will
have had an experience with an open door. As Shakespeare said,
tis much ado about nothing, as long as the pilot remembers what
to do (fly the plane) and what not to do (fight to close said door).
Its one thing to have a Cessna door or window pop - nothing
happens to the aircraft, pilots undergarments excepted.
When a door open on a Europa or a Liberty, there is an excellent
chance that the door will cleanly depart the airframe as has happened
several times. There is a theoretical, but so far unseen possibility
that the departing door will hit the empenage and damage an
airfoil or control. That is not a nothing event!
My request for comments was actually a probe to start a discussion
on whether the Europa community should look into doing the same.
The port door on my airframe has long been deformed by heat while
under the tension of the gas spring and has thus deformed so it takes
some special effort to engage the shoot in the rear. This deformity
was exacerbated by the door blowing off the hinges on the ground at
Norfolk VA after a perfect ILS in a 40 kt crosswind coming home
from SnF 2006. As soon as I opened the door at the gas pump,
it pulled right out of my hand. Actually, when
closed, but not latched, the rear corner of the door is proud of the
fuse by two inches or so, therefore I need a handle on the inside to
pull it in.
The Liberty mod probably will not do a thing for me, but
it might help avoid someone else's accident.
I am planning a trip to SnF this year (even though I promised myself
I would not) and I will look at the new Liberty shoot bolts.
I have it from reliable sources, that the close by establishment for the
annual engineering meeting is now remodeled and open for business.
Fly Safe!
| | - The Matronics Europa-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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_________________
Ira N224XS |
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steven.pitt2(at)ntlworld.
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:05 am Post subject: Europa door shoot bolts |
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Ira,
I will be at Sun'n'Fun again with the Europa team, Jeff and Mary Behrnes and
a couple of Brit Europa owners. Bud tells me that Europa have stands 90 and
91 so engineering meetings will be on the agenda.
Look forward to seeing you and any other Europa owners/wannabees in just
over a month.
Regards
Steve Pitt
G-SMDH
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| | - The Matronics Europa-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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raimo.toivio(at)rwm.fi
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:48 am Post subject: Europa door shoot bolts |
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| Quote: |
When a door open on a Europa or a Liberty, there is an excellent
chance that the door will cleanly depart the airframe as has happened
several times. There is a theoretical, but so far unseen possibility
that the departing door will hit the empenage and damage an
airfoil or control. That is not a nothing event!
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To prevent this happen I have 4 x microswitches and green/yellow leds to warn unengaged shootbolts.
Those leds are just in sight and it is almost impossibe not to see those yellow ones.
During T.O. I check if the ASI is operative and the leds are just beside it.
Secondly, some of you may remember the pip-pins which secure the door levers to the door lever guards to prevent human errors (= unintentional inflight door opening).
Raimo OH-XRT
| | - The Matronics Europa-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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